Game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A GAME APPARATUS PROVIDING A TEST OF MANUAL MANEUVERING SKILL COMPRISES A LIQUID FILLED CHAMBER DEFINED BY A TRANSPARENT SIDE WALL AND CLOSED OPPOSITE ENDS AND A TUBULAR RECEPTACLE MOUNTED ON AND EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE CHAMBER AND HAVING AN OPEN END IN FACING RELATION WITH THE OTHER END OF THE CHAMBER TO RECEIVE IN A SELECTED ORDER EACH OF A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS THEREIN AFTER TURNING THE CHAMBER END-FOR-END. THE OBJECTS EACH HAVE A DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND THEREBY A DIFFERENT RATE OF FALL OR DOWNWARD MOVEMENT THROUGH THE CHAMBER.

Feb. 13, 1973 D. J. KOTWAS ETAL GAME APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1971 3 7 u a m "'II'l" R 0 S u m w a Y v N o E F////VW?\&" |K./ 0 M w /0|Iw A United States Patent 3,716,233 GAME APPARATUS Donald J. Koterwas, 14838 Leicester Court, Centreville, Va. 22020, and Theodore L. Koterwas, P.(). Box 5574, W. Village Branch, Aspen, Colo. 81611 Filed June 28, 1971, Ser. No. 157,425 Int. Cl. A63f 7/04 US. Cl. 273-1 L 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game apparatus providing a test of manual maneuvering skill comprises a liquid filled chamber defined by a transparent side wall and closed opposite ends and a tubular receptacle mounted on and extending from one end of the chamber and having an open end in facing relation with the other end of the chamber to receive in a selected order each of a plurality of objects therein after turning the chamber end-for end. The objects each have a different specific gravity and thereby a different rate of fall or downward movement through the chamber.

The present invention relates to game apparatus and more particularly to a game apparatus having a liquid filled chamber with objects therein providing a test of manual maneuvering skill to move the objects into a receptacle within said chamber.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a game apparatus providing a test of manual maneuvering skill to sequentially move each of a plurality of objects into a receptacle within a liquid filled chamber; to provide such a game apparatus wherein the test of manual maneuvering skill is sufficiently difficult to maintain interest and fascination therewith; to provide such a game apparatus wherein the objects to be sequentially maneuvered into the receptacle have different fall rates thereby providing short time intervals between each of the objects during the movement thereof toward the receptacle; to provide such a game apparatus wherein at least one of the objects are sized to have a minimum of clearance when moving through an open end of the receptacle during movement into same; and to provide such a game apparatus which is economical to manufacture, durable in construction, and particularly adapted for the proposed use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments illustrating various objects and features of the game apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus embodying features of the present invention and showing a plurality of objects moving toward a receptacle extending from one end of the liquid filled chamber.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the objects received in the receptacle.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 33, FIG. 2, and showing minimum clearance between objects and the receptacle wall.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing different size objects received in the receptacle.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms 3,716,233 Patented Feb. 13, 1973 that are different from those illustrative embodiments presented herein. Therefore, specific structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims actually defining the scope of this invention. The disclosure hereof is presented only as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriate detailed and sized structure.

In the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a game apparatus providing a test of manual maneuvering skill and including a liquid filled chamber 2 defined by a structure providing suitable visibility, as for example, a transparent side wall 3 and closed opposite ends 4 and 5. The structure has a tubular receptacle 6 mounted on and extending from one of the closed opposite ends, for example end 4 of the liquid filled chamber 2, and having an open end 7 in facing relation with the other end 5 of the chamber 2. The open end 7 of the receptacle 6 is designed for receiving therein in a selected sequence or order each of a plurality of objects 8 uniformly started from end 5 of the chamber 2. The objects 8 each have a different specific gravity and thereby a different rate of fall or downward movement through the liquid in the chamber 2.

The liquid filled chamber 2 is illustrated as an elongated tubular member having the opposite ends 4 and 5 thereof closed and at least the side wall 3 or portions thereof formed of transparent material whereby the plurality of objects 8 may be viewed during their fall or downward movement toward the open end 7 of the tubular receptacle 6.

It is preferable that the chamber 2 be completely filled with a selected liquid, therefore, the other end 5 or top is removable to permit completely submerging the chamber 2 and the plurality of objects 8 therein within the selected liquid and the top 5 is secured in position after the chamber 2 is completely filled with the selected liquid thereby sealing same to eliminate air inside the chamber 2.

The receptacle 6 preferably is centered on the one end 4 and extends therefrom and toward the top or other end 5 of the chamber 2 and has the open end 7 thereof in facing relation with the other end of the chamber 2. The receptacle 6 may be offset from the center if desired without departing from the invention. The receptacle 6 has a side wall 9 having a plurality of spaced apertures 10 through the side wall 9 to permit fiow of liquid therethrough upon movement of the objects 8 into and out of the receptacle 6.

The objects 8 each have a different specific gravity whereby each of the plurality of objects 8 has a different rate of fall or downward movement through the liquid filled chamber 2. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, the objects 8 are each sized to have a minimum clearance when moving through the open end 7 of the receptacle 6.

Typical sizes for the game apparatus 1 are in the range of twelve to sixteen inches (12" to 16") high and two to four inches (2 to 4") in diameter. The tubular receptacle 6 is two and one-half inches (2%") in length and is centered on the one end 4 and is seven-eighths of an inch in diameter. The plurality of objects 8 are illustrated as spheres, each three-fourths of an inch in diameter and each weighted differently and the respective specific gravities thereof are each slightly greater merged to eliminate air inside the chamber 2. The objects 8 may be within the receptacle 6 or on the bottom or other end 4 and the game apparatus is then turned end-for-end and the plurality of objects 8 fall or move downwardly toward the top or end 5. When the plurality of objects 8 engage the end 5, the game apparatus 1 is then again turned end-for-end and the plurality of objects 8 each fall toward the other end 4 or bottom thereof. The objects 8 each fall or move downwardly at a different rate, such as having the heaviest object require approximately four seconds to move through the chamber 2 and the lightest object requiring approximately five seconds. The object of the game is to maneuver all the objects 8 into the tubular receptacle t5 during one fall.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modification or variation of the game or toy wherein the plurality of objects includes objects having at least two different sizes, such as large and small objects as indicated at 11 and 12 respectively, and different rates of downward movement or fall through the liquid. It is preferable that at least one size of the objects, such as the larger objects 11, have a minimum of clearance when moving through the open end 7 of the tubular receptacle 6 thereby requiring sufficient dexterity or manual maneuvering skill to maneuver the larger objects 11 into the receptacle 6.

Use of the apparatus having different size objects is substantially similar to the use of the apparatus 1, illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Additional variations of the game or toy may be achieved by modifying the sizes of the objects 8, receptacle 6, and chamber 2 by up to fifty percent thereby requiring a different manual maneuvering skill to move all of the objects into the receptacle 6 in a prescribed order during one fall.

It is to be understood that while we have illustrated and described certain forms of our invention, it is not to be limited to these specific forms and arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A game apparatus comprising:

(a) an elongated tubular member having opposite ends thereof closed, said tubular member having side wall portions formed of transparent material;

(b) liquid within said tubular member and substantially filling same;

() a tubular receptacle secured to one of the ends of said tubular member and extending therefrom toward the other end of said tubular member, said receptacle having an open end in facing relation to the other end of said tubular member said tubular receptacle including a side wall portion;

(d) a plurality of objects within said tubular member to be sequentially maneuvered through said open end into said receptacle while moving from the other end of said tubular member thereby providing a test of maneuvering skill;

(e) said receptacle side wall portion having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough and spaced along the length thereof whereby said liquid moves through said aperture as said objects move along the length of said receptacle;

(f) said plurality of objects each having a different specific gravity whereby each of said plurality of objects has a different rate of movement through said liquid due to the difference in the specific gravity between the objects and the liquid;

(g) at least one of said plurality of objects is sized to have a minimum of clearance when moving through the open end of at least one of said receptacle during movement into same.

2. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of objects includes objects having at least two different sizes and different rates of downward movement through said liquid.

3. A game apparatus comprising:

(a) an elongated tubular member having a side wall and opposite ends thereof closed, said side wall being formed of transparent material;

(b) liquid within said tubular member and completely filling same;

(c) a tubular receptacle mounted on one of the ends of said tubular member in a generally centrally located position and extending therefrom toward the other end of said tubular member, said receptacle having a side wall defining an open end in facing relation with the other end of said tubular member, said side wall having a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough; and

(d) a plurality of objects within said tubular member to be sequentially maneuvered into said receptacle from the other end of said tubular member thereby providing a test of maneuvering skill, said plurality of objects each having individually different specific gravities different than the specific gravity of said liquid whereby each of said plurality of objects has a different rate of movement through said liquid, said receptacle wall being spaced from the side wall of the tubular member a distance greater than the size of said objects for movement of said objects therebetween;

(e) at least one of said plurality of objects is sized to have a minimum of clearance when moving through the open end of said receptacle.

4. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein at least one end of said tubular member is removable to permit filling said tubular member in a submerged position within said liquid to thereby effect completely filling of said tubular member with said liquid to eliminate air therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,255 12/1905 Hughes 273-1 L 990,439 4/1911 Hill 273-1 L 2,746,757 5/1956 Frost 273-153 R X 2,004,290 6/1935 McCullough et al. 273 R X 449,748 4/1 891 Roberts 273153 R ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner 

